Rory and Jess: The Later Years
by heeyiitspaige
Summary: Rory didn't know what to expect when she found out she was pregnant, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine Jess would be the steady hand helping her get by. Post-Fall. Literati Oneshot.


**Hi guys!**

 **Author note at the beginning of the story?** ** _What?_** **Strange, I know, but this shit's important. So listen up.**

 **Here we have what** ** _should_** **go down after the TV goes black at the end of Fall. I've been working on this for over a week now and It's so fucking long, over 13,000 words, and I'm really proud of it. I hope you all like it.**

 **SPECIAL THANKS first to Elle, who wrote out the skeleton for this and just wanted someone to write it for her. I probably wouldn't have written anything nearly as amazing if it weren't for her. Next to the Illiterate Literati's, who instantly thought** ** _I_** **should be the one to write out Elle's hc's and for giving me amazing reactions as I sent them snippets during the writing process. And lastly, to Neelam, who is the best beta I could ask for. Thank you for dealing with my crazy and letting me bounce ideas off of you while I wrote.**

 **So yeah, that's it. Hope you guys enjoy. Don't forget to review because I love hearing what you guys think. There's a small possibility that I'll be adding to this some day or writing a sequel, but I'll have to see. Depends on how 1973 goes and how much love this gets (which means if you love it, let me know, and I'll be more likely to write more).**

 **ANYWAY let's get on with it :)**

 **Rory and Jess: The Later Years**

When Rory's searching for apartments in Queens, she keeps having to constantly remind herself that she can't get just any shoebox apartment. She's shopping for a home for not only herself, but for her unborn child too. And when she finally finds the right place – with two bedrooms, an open floor plan, and easy access to Manhattan – she's quick to sign a lease. Her mom sends all of her boxes from Stars Hollow and Rory picks up the ones from Paris's.

No one other than her mother and Luke knows about the baby, but when Jess calls three weeks after the wedding to ask her how the book is going, she can't help but tell him she's pregnant. Things with Jess have always been complicated, but he has always given her the right advice or shown her the right path to follow, once when she dropped out of Yale and again a few months ago when he told her to write the book.

The conversation wasn't long, but he asks for her address and promises to come and visit. He's got an apartment in Manhattan, a small one right above the space that will eventually become Truncheon 2.0.

"I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now, huh?" she tells him and she knows he's smirking on the other end.

"I guess we will," Jess tells her before hanging up.

Less than a week later Rory is sat on her new couch, her laptop dying and her body unwilling to get up to grab her charger. She's too immersed in her writing to allow herself to get up, so every other sentence she presses save, hoping she won't lose everything that she's been working on. Chapter seven is nearly done; it only took her this long to get to it because of all the moving and the doctor's appointments.

When there's a knock on her door Rory is confused; Lorelai would've called before coming all the way to New York, Paris's knock is too distinct and there's no way she would've knocked so quietly, and she and Logan still haven't talked since the Life and Death Brigade event. So she doesn't know who it could be. She contemplates ignoring the knock, assuming that it's a solicitor or someone unimportant, but when the knock comes again she decides to answer it.

It's Jess, and Rory's eyes are wide with confusion but her smile is bright with happiness; sure, he had said that he would come and visit, but Rory and Jess were known for making promises to each other and not following through. He's here though, at her apartment in Queens, with a signature smirk on his face.

"Hi," she finally says – he waited to speak, letting her have the first words because he knows she wants them – and her smile grows.

"Hi," Jess replies smugly and she leans against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I like when you keep your promises," she tells him.

Jess can't help but laugh, and he's about to speak when something catches Rory's eyes: a baby crib. She's confused, and looks between it and Jess before he steps aside, allowing her to get a full view. "It was Doula's," Jess explains. "But she's ten now. I don't really think she needs a baby crib anymore, and Liz was going to toss it, so I thought you could use it."

Rory doesn't know whether to be shocked or not, but she's always known that Jess is a lot more considerate and caring than he likes to lead on; he always thinks of her, whatever the situation, and the fact that he had driven the crib all the way from Stars Hollow to Queens means a lot more to her than he probably realizes.

It's only when she sees his breath in the air that she realizes that the hallway of her apartment is just as cold as it is out, and that they're standing there like idiots in the freezing cold. She shakes her head, moving aside. "Come in, it's freezing," she finally says and he nods, turning to lift the crib and bringing it inside of the apartment.

He places it down in the livingroom and surveys the apartment; it's mostly empty, other than a couch, a rug, a TV and a kitchen table. "I thought you had already moved in," he jokes and turns to Rory, who is blushing deeply.

"I haven't had the time – or the money for that matter – to decorate the place," Rory tells him, and if anyone is going to understand it's Jess. He's been living in Manhattan for the better part of a year and the only personality the place has is his pile of books.

"Where do you want this?" Jess asks, pointing to the crib and deciding not to comment on what she just said.

"Down the hall, door on the right," she says and Jess takes the crib exactly where she asks him to. The room is completely bare, not a thing in it, and Jess knows that it's because Rory is still sort of in denial about the whole thing. After placing the crib in the middle of the room he looks around, sighing before heading back into the livingroom.

Rory's in the kitchen, telling him that she's making them a pot of coffee – decaf of course – and he sits on her couch; that's when he sees the laptop with an opened document and he turns it to face him, reading what's on the screen. The document is titled Chapter Seven and he smiles, happy that she's writing the book.

When Rory returns with their coffee he starts asking her about the book, and their conversation becomes so in depth that they don't even realize that it's become dark out. They talk about the outline that Rory's written, decide on all of the names that will be changed and the ones that won't be, and discuss where exactly the book should end. They decide to hold off on making a decision for the ending.

"Are you hungry?" Rory asks after their previous conversation had pretty much ended, and Jess admits that he is and that he should probably head back into the city. She shakes her head. "Nonsense," she says, getting up. "I already know the best Thai food place in the area."

So they order food and while they wait for it to come they flip through the channels; the second Rory's eyes see that Almost Famous has just started she can't help but put it on. She knows Jess will appreciate it and he does, laughing at her choice and commenting: "Ready to watch Kate Hudson commit suicide again?" Rory just nods her head and looks at him, smiling.

Their foods comes and they set it all up on the floor, where they move and sit down on the rug and eat out of the cartons. It's the most stress-free night she's had in a long time and she likes it – watching movies and eating takeout with Jess brings her back to simpler times and she's content with the bubbly feeling that has started in her stomach. She recognizes it from many teenage days spent in Luke's Diner with Jess, before and after they had gotten together.

It's late when Jess says that he has to go, that he'd rather stay and watch more movies but that he's got to meet with an author tomorrow morning and he needs at least some sleep. Rory walks him to the door and they share a warm hug before he's out the door. That night, Rory gets the best sleep she's had in a long time.

xxx

The next morning Jess is thankful that he has an emergency wad of cash saved in his sock drawer, because he's 100% positive he left his wallet at Rory's the night before. There is no way he'd make it to and from Queens with enough time to meet his author if he had to go get his wallet, and it'd be rude if he made the author pay for their breakfast.

So he meets with the author, but the whole time, Jess is thinking about going back to Rory's apartment. He hasn't felt like this since he was a teenager, when he would count the seconds until his shift at Luke's was done so he could go meet up with his girlfriend. It was strange because Jess knows this isn't the same – she's pregnant with his kid, of course Jess has no chance – but he can't help himself.

After coming up with an agreement with the author and giving him Matt's number, Jess hops on a train from Manhattan to Queens and walks the few blocks from the station to her apartment building. He knocks on the door and this time, Rory answers much faster. She smiles at Jess and he smiles back, saying, "I think I left my wallet here last night."

He comes in and heads over to where they sat on the floor the night before, bending down to look under the couch and finding his black leather wallet, forgotten on the carpet. He picks it up and stands, shoving it in his pocket. Rory offers him another smile before telling him she was about to head out for some Chinese food and invites him to come.

Of course Jess accepts, and the two walk to the Chinese food place in silence. As they eat they talk about Luke and Lorelai, how their marriage was a long time coming, how Jess called it before he even really knew either of them, and how happy they both were for the couple.

As they walk back to the apartment, Rory tells Jess all about the secret wedding that took place just hours before the ceremony that he had attended, expressing how badly she wanted to go and get him but that there was no time, and she didn't want to risk waking Liz, TJ or Doula up in the process. Jess tells her he understands– he really does– and enjoys the story.

When they reach Rory's apartment there is a box waiting outside and Jess picks it up as Rory unlocks the door; the two head inside and Jess places the box on the kitchen table. When she opens it, the smell of food is so strong that her mouth almost waters; Jess reaches in, finding a note on the top and he begins to read it.

"Dear Rory," He starts, looking at her a second before back to the note in his hand. "Since you're pregnant, you should stop eating crap and start eating healthier. Here's some food that I think you'll like, plus some of the easiest recipe books I could find. Use them. I'll send more over when I can. Best wishes, Luke." Jess pauses before chuckling. "P.S. Your mother says hi."

Rory smiles and laughs, commenting on how she needs to call her mom soon. After taking the full box and shoving it into her empty refrigerator – commenting on how Luke knew her so well – Rory mentions how Lane had sent a few boxes full of her books to her that morning, and asks Jess if he wants to help her go through them.

"That's like asking if a pig wants to roll around in mud," Jess tells her and they head into the living room, sitting down on the floor once again with a box each, going through them book by book. They separate them into different piles – keeping, donating and shoving back in the box – and discuss every book they come across. Hemingway sparks up one of their usual debates and Rand causes Jess to roll his eyes. Rory can't help but laugh at him, realizing that even though they've matured since high school, they're still so much like their old selves.

When Rory pulls Howl out of the bottom of her box, she can't help but feel her heart sink. She looks at it for a second, reminiscing, before she can feel Jess's eyes on her. "Howl," she says simply, showing him the cover of the book. He smiles almost sadly, eyes going from the books cover to her face.

"Did you enjoy the notes I left?" Jess asked and Rory laughs, nodding her head. She can recall going home that night, reading his notes over and over again until the wee hours of the night, contemplating each thoughtful yet messily scribbled word that Jess had placed in her book. It was the first time she felt intellectually connected to a guy, and it was that moment that her mind began to contemplate the possibility of Jess.

After they finish up with the books, Rory and Jess seat themselves on the couch and allow themselves to watch Casablanca; when Jess falls asleep on the couch next to her, Rory turns down the volume on the TV, grabs an extra blanket from one of her boxes and throws it over Jess and heading to bed herself.

xxx

Jess begins spending a lot of his time at Rory's apartment; he picks up the groceries because he knows Rory doesn't know what to buy, and most nights he cooks because Luke begged him to make sure that Rory was eating well. He helps her work on her book and she helps him edit things that Truncheon is publishing. Their coexistence is comfortable.

At night, Jess finds himself sleeping on the couch with the same blanket that he had been given the first night he stayed there but now, his pillow has found comfort there as well. Rory doesn't remember when it started, but eventually Rory finds herself sharing her bed with Jess: Rory sleeps on the right side of the bed and Jess sleeps on the left.

It becomes an almost every night thing that both of them are a lot more comfortable with than they'd like to admit. Some mornings they wake up closer than expected, others their limbs are tangled together and the first to wake is always the one to slip out of the position. They are both aware it happens, though they never bring it up because they don't want to make it awkward.

Whenever Rory wakes up with Jess's arms around her, her head is filled with a bombarding amount of what if's. She thinks about that day at the end of her freshmen year at Yale when Jess had begged her to run away with him, to New York or wherever, just anywhere but here. She wanted to go so badly, she honestly did, but she just knew that he wasn't ready yet. Which was why she said no. She thinks about what would've happened had she said yes, if they would've spent every night in the position she had woken up in. She can't help but smile at that thought.

If it's Jess who wakes up first, he stays in that position for longer than he knows he should, watching Rory sleep with a smile on his face. He thinks this is how it's supposed to be, because in his mind he knows that this is right. He thinks about days back in high school when he and Rory would sit on his bed in Luke's apartment, reading their separate books with their legs tangled together. Sometimes, she'd fall asleep like that, and he'd do the same thing as now, watching her peacefully sleep.

One Saturday morning, Jess wakes up to find the bed is empty; usually, when Rory wakes up first, she just rolls over or reads a book in bed. But today she isn't there, and Jess felt his heart pull a little. He leaves the bedroom in a tee shirt and pajama pants, finding Rory seated in the living room with her phone in her hand, deep in thought.

"It's too early for that kind of thinking," Jess says lightheartedly, taking a seat on the couch next to Rory. She looks up from her lap to Jess and she sighs. "I have to tell him," she says, and Jess knows she's talking about Logan.

"Okay, so tell him," Jess replies simply, taking Rory's phone from her and finding Logan's contact. Rory is in shock by his abrupt action, knowing that Logan was still a tiny sore spot for him, but nods her head, telling him to press the call button. She takes the phone, presses it to her ear, and holds her breath.

But Logan doesn't answer the phone, it's her, and before Odette can even speak a full sentence she's hanging up. "I'm such an idiot," she says in a quiet tone, her face in her hands and tears spilling from her eyes. Jess hates to see her cry and he wraps his arms around her, allowing her to get all of her emotions out.

Jess isn't stupid, and he knows that this meltdown doesn't have to solely do with the fact that Logan's fiancee answered the phone – it's everything. She's panicked at the idea of being a single mother, with no real job, no money and really no stability. She's scared, and Jess can understand being scared of an uncertain future.

When Rory goes to shower, Jess decides to make them eggs and bacon for breakfast. He's preparing their plates when Rory's phone rings, and when he picks it up he sees that it's Logan calling back. Swallowing his pride, Jess answers it.

"Rory's phone," Jess says, his signature smirk appearing and he knows that Logan is confused. "Can I speak to Rory?" the blonde asks and Jess begins to make his way towards her room. "Let me check if she's out of the shower yet."

Sure enough there was Rory, seated on her bed – their bed – with a towel wrapped around her head, comfortable clothes on and her hand on her still flat stomach. Jess walks over and sits, handing her the phone and looking at her. "It's Logan."

The beginning of the conversation is awkward at first, and Rory just wants to hang up and forget all about the man in London. But she can't, she knows she can't, but when Logan asks why she called she pauses. Jess looks at her, almost giving her the power to speak once again, and she does.

"I'm pregnant and it's yours," she tells him, letting out a breath. "I don't expect you to leave Odette or anything, I just thought you should know. In fact, don't leave her. I want you to marry her, live happily ever after with her. Baby and I don't need your pity or your money, but I figured it was your right to know." There's a pause and Rory sighs. "Goodbye Logan."

The goodbye is so final – so much more final than their last goodbye – that it brings tears to Rory's eyes, and once again she is in Jess's arms crying over another man. She feels guilty, knowing that he doesn't deserve this, but they're friends. And friends do shit like this.

After a while, Jess tells Rory that he made them food and they head into the kitchen, eating in a comfortable silence that makes Rory wonder when they became so domestic?

xxx

Rory doesn't start experiencing morning sickness until mid December, and both she and Jess are grateful that it took that long to set in. She hates throwing up, and he cringes at the sound of someone throwing up. When he was a kid, Jess pretty much threw up whenever someone else did – a trait he's thankful to have mostly grown out of – but when he hears Rory emptying her stomach at three in the morning, he can't help but feel sick too.

Still, he brings her water from the kitchen and presses a cold compress to the back of her neck – all things he could remember his elementary school nurse doing for him – as he holds her hair back. Rory's never in there long, and once she's done vomiting, Jess always carries her back to bed.

And every night, after Rory's all tucked in and sound asleep, Jess spends a good amount of time in the bathroom himself, vomiting just as he had as a kid.

xxx

When Christmas comes around, Rory insists that they get a real tree. They spend hours at some place on Long Island trying to pick the right one, and when Rory finds the right tree she's more than content. Jess doesn't have much say and just watches her, her hands resting comfortably on her still small yet slightly rounded stomach, her eyes bright and her smile big.

They somehow manage to get the tree into Jess's car and back to Rory's apartment in one piece. It's an awkwardly sized tree, and when Jess gets it standing up straight the top of it bends slightly against the ceiling. He suggests bringing it back but Rory just shakes her head, telling him she loves it even more now.

While Jess sits and edits the next chunk of Rory's book she makes popcorn and tries to string it; ultimately, the two of them end up eating the whole bowl and ordering the garland off of Amazon for a great price. That night they sit on the couch and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, remembering the time they watched it in Luke's apartment together. They're curled up next to each other just like they had been when they were kids, and Rory wonders if she ever really got over from the hoodlum that stole her heart at the ripe age of seventeen.

The next day they leave for Stars Hollow, and while Rory tries to convince Jess that taking the train is easier, he insists on driving. He says that it's because it'll save him a lot of money, but in reality he doesn't trust trains, especially with a pregnant Rory. Who knows what kind of people could be riding next to them?

Rory somehow convinces Jess to let her play the Christmas station the entire way from Queens to Stars Hollow, and it's only because he enjoys looking out of the corner of his eye to see her smiling brightly and singing along to the classics. It brings him back to the night that he accidentally crashed her car, when he insisted that they go out and get ice cream in cones. Thankfully, this car ride ends with a lot less broken bones.

The first place they go to when they reach Stars Hollow is Luke's Diner, and there they're bombarded with greetings from Babette, Miss Patty, Kirk and Andrew. Of course, Patty and Babette start wondering why Rory and Jess show up together, and once again the gossip is centered around the two former lovers. But they choose to ignore it, like they had done as kids.

When Jess asks Caesar where Luke is he tells them that he's at the house with Lorelai, and after ordering two burgers and fries to go, the two head over to Rory's childhood home. On the drive over they pick at the fries and at this point they're mostly gone, but Rory doesn't mind. Jess refused to stop on the way up and she's starving.

"Mom?" Rory calls through the house, walking in and seeing luggage – but why is there luggage? Rory and Jess look at each other in confusion as Lorelai and Luke make their way downstairs, fake smiles on their faces that the younger two can see right through.

"What law did you break?" Jess asks with a smirk.

"None," Lorelai defends before adding, "yet." Luke rolls his eyes and Rory gives both of them a look before Luke puts the pieces together; he turns to Lorelai, not angry but almost annoyed.

"You didn't tell them?" he says, and Rory and Jess are even more confused than before.

"Tell us what?" Jess asks and Lorelai rubs her forehead, sighing.

"I kind of promised my mother we'd spend Christmas with her…."

Of course, Jess instantly knows that going to Nantucket is a mistake, but when Lorelai and Luke go to load up the car, Rory turns to Jess with pleading eyes. "Please come," she says in an even voice. "I don't know if I can survive the week without you."

And that's how Jess Mariano got roped into spending Christmas and New Years in Nantucket with Emily Gilmore.

xxx

Christmas itself was a breeze – Jess noticed how much Emily had mellowed out since the night he showed up at her house with a black eye (stupid swan), and the two actually had a nice conversation about literature while he helped Berta prepare dinner – but the whole time, Rory felt guilty.

She had yet to tell her grandmother that she was pregnant, avoiding the topic as much as she could by not wearing anything too tight and keeping her morning sickness as quiet as she could. But this is insane, she knows that, and she just wants to tell Emily what's going on.

And so she does, at dinner on December 29, after the family feasted on some kind of steak that Berta's cousin had whipped up only a half hour after Jess had requested that they have some sort of meat.

They sit in the living room, having their after dinner drinks when Emily questions why Rory was opting for ginger ale instead of her usual nightcap. "Grandma there's something I need to tell you," she says instead of answering Emily's original question.

The room falls silent, and Jess presses a comforting hand to Rory's back to let her know that he's here. Lorelai and Luke both swallow breaths and wait for what is coming; Emily raises her eyebrows at her granddaughter.

"I'm pregnant."

The silence is thickening, and Lorelai is mentally preparing for the blowout of the century; she's already mapped out the fastest escape routes and is ready to comfort her daughter if things get that bad. She's holding tightly onto Luke's hands, who is just as nervous as she is.

But Emily just looks at her granddaughter without words, seemingly contemplating the world with her hand on her hip and her lips pressed together.

Rory is getting impatient and Jess can sense that, so he begins rubbing her back to calm her down. It works a little, and after a few seconds she brings her hand behind her back to meet his, ghosting over the skin to let him know yes, she notices and yes, she appreciates it more than she could ever express.

"Okay."

When Emily finally speaks the whole room is shocked that she's not flipping out — for better or for worse — and everyone else is speechless for a few seconds.

"Okay?" Rory repeats and Emily nods, taking a sip of her drink as her eyes scan over Rory's body, trying to notice any pregnancy changes that she might've been blind to. There aren't any.

"I'm assuming you two will get married," Emily starts again, and she looks at Jess with keen eyes. "And you'll stop wearing so much leather—"

"Grandma," Rory cuts her off, shaking her head. "It's Logan's baby. Jess and I are just friends."

Jess's hand instantly falls from Rory's back and he moves away ever so slightly: not enough that anyone would notice, but enough that he can feel the distance. Jess knows that they're just friends — there hasn't been any indication otherwise. Unless you count the fact that they are practically living together, sharing a bed, and have developed an almost sick codependency in the last month and a half.

Still, it stings to hear her say it; before there was hope, but now Jess is faced with the fact that he is living in a fantasy. Rory's vulnerable, and sad, and she just needs her friend.

The next few days are painfully awkward: Emily seems disappointed in Rory's actions; Lorelai and Luke are doing their best to keep things as normal as possible, regardless of the giant elephant that seems to follow them all through every room; and Jess keeps his distance from Rory.

On New Year's Eve, Rory spends a lot of her time staring at her computer but not writing a thing; her mind is too busy to function right now. Even with the awkwardness of late, she's happy when her grandmother comes in the room with a cup of tea.

"Hi grandma," Rory says in a small voice as Emily sits on the edge of the bed, the younger of the two closing her laptop and taking the cup of tea. She sips it, feeling the warmth slide down into her stomach and warming her whole body.

"Rory you're a grown woman now," Emily starts without so much as a greeting, and Rory knows that her grandmother has rehearsed the words she's going to say and doesn't interrupt her. "Well you have been for a long time, but I guess I just never wanted to admit it," she chuckles. "You're living on your own and writing a book — and you're pregnant." There's a pause, and Rory cringes very slightly at her words.

"With Logan's baby. Logan Huntzberger, the man that your grandfather and I wanted you to marry almost more than we wanted you to go to Yale. But he's engaged," Emily once again pauses, taking a breath. "I'm not going to ask questions because you've made your decision, but I want you to know that I'm here."

Rory feels tears in her eyes and she's smiling. She was so scared that her grandmother would reject her like she had her mother, and after all that she's lost in the last year, Rory can't handle losing her grandmother too.

"I'm always here to support you Rory: financially or emotionally," Emily adds and Rory nods, wiping the single tear that falls and placing her tea on the bedside table. "And I'm not the only one."

Rory tilts her head curiously, because she's more than aware that her mother and Luke will help her no matter what.

"That boy loves you."

Rory's face turns bright red, and she's ready to defend their friendship when her grandmother continues (Rory should know better than to interrupt Emily Gilmore).

"Now I know I wasn't his biggest fan, but I haven't seen a man look at a woman with that much love since… well since your grandfather passed," Emily has tears in her eyes, but she doesn't wipe them. "I see it with your mother too, when she's rambling and Luke just stares at her. At my age it's easy to tell when a man's in love with a woman."

With that, Emily leaves Rory to her own devices, to which she practically drives herself crazy overanalyzing the last few months; she picks apart every encounter between the two of them, every word spoken and every action made, trying to figure out what was going on.

She does this for a few hours but then it's 11:56, and Lorelai finally decides to pull Rory from her room and make her socialize. "It's New Year's Eve: you can't watch the ball drop all by yourself," Lorelai tells her (to which Rory mentally responds with Oh yes I can!)

When in the livingroom, Rory can't locate Jess among the crowd (there aren't that many people, just Emily, Lorelai, Luke and all of Berta's family, but the latter alone can make up a small village). She takes the last sip of her now cold tea and decides to look for him after she puts the mug in the dishwasher.

Rory, however, kills two birds with one stone when she walks into the kitchen and finds Jess nursing a beer. She can tell by his slight sluggishness that it's not his first, and the two lock eyes for a few seconds before he looks away and takes a gulp from his bottle.

After putting the mug in the dishwasher, Rory looks over at Jess; she can hear the people in the other room beginning to count down with the television.

Ten.

Rory moves to stand in front of Jess, her entire body shaking as a nervous feeling takes over her body.

Nine.

She clears her throat, to which Jess looks up from the ground and straight in her eyes. He gulps and turns to move his head away —

Eight.

— but before his gaze can move too much, her hand comes up to stop him.

Seven.

Jess's breath catches in his throat and he too is becoming nervous, but not as much as he should. There's too much alcohol in his system for him to become too nervous.

Six.

Rory is frozen in her spot, beginning to contemplate why she even put herself in a position like this (and things were going so well!).

Five.

Jess can almost see the thoughts spinning around in Rory's head, and while he wants to say something, he knows that he shouldn't. The ball is in her court, she sought him out like this. He has to let her make the first move.

Four.

She thinks about Logan, about his baby that's growing in her stomach, and about how much she used to love him. But then she dismisses that too, because the keywords are used to. As in past tense. As in not anymore. The only person she wants to think about is Jess.

Three.

She goes to pull her hand away from his face, regretting the decision to do this, but then she stops herself. Rory Gilmore is not a quitter.

Two.

She stand there, her hands out between them, trying to gain her composure enough to make a decision.

One.

Jess is looking at her, almost begging her to make a move, and Rory sucks in a deep breath.

Happy New Year!

Neither of them hear the celebratory cries that are coming from the other room, because they're too busy rediscovering each others mouths. It's been ten years since the last time they've kissed, but when their lips touch it's like no time has passed.

It's almost like they're kissing for the first time, like they had just before Sookie's wedding: when Rory had kissed him, her arms had gone around his waist and his went to cup her face. Just like the first time they kissed. It's just as magical too, making their heads spin and hearts light and giddy.

But just like kisses of years prior they're cut short when Lorelai walks into the room, cheering about the New Year and causing the two adults (teenagers? There's really no difference) to jump apart. Lorelai stands there, her eyes wide and her body frozen. Emily walks in too, unaware of the situation and walks right over to her granddaughter.

"Happy New Year!" Emily exclaims, pressing a kiss to Rory's cheek and pulling her into a hug. Rory looks over her grandmother's shoulder at Jess, who is staring down at the ground and then walking out of the room.

Rory almost regrets kissing him.

xxx

It's three weeks later and Rory hasn't heard from Jess. Like at all. After dropping her off at her apartment, Jess hasn't called, texted, emailed or stopped by. Rory would've believed that he dropped off the face of the Earth if it had not been for her phone call with Luke the other night, informing her that he is alive. Just busy.

Busy with work, or busy avoiding her? Rory knows that the first is possible, but that the latter is more likely. Whatever Jess has to do for work, Rory is sure he can do at her apartment if he wasn't avoiding her.

She contemplates calling him, but she thinks it'll make her look desperate so she just puts her phone down. Her writing process has slowed dramatically in the last three weeks and she wonders if she emails him what she's added, he'll look it over and get back to her? Probably not.

For three weeks, Rory tries to convince herself that she doesn't need Jess as much as she thought she did. This, however, proves futile when her refrigerator is completely empty, one of her only kitchen chairs is broken, and a bunch of heavy stuff for the baby's room is delivered.

At two in the morning on a Tuesday, Rory is laying in bed unable to sleep, thinking about Jess. Her hand is resting on her stomach and she sighs; she's four months along and because she's petite, her stomach is already showing. It only started in the last few weeks but she notices it greatly, and she wonders that if Jess saw her right now, he'd see it too.

She's about to roll over onto his side of the bed when she feels some kind of pressure in her stomach: a kick? Was that a kick? She feels it again and without second thought, Rory is out of bed, slipping on shoes, leaving her apartment and hopping on a train into Manhattan.

The streets of the city are different at night than during the day, but Rory can't think about that right now. She needs to see Jess, and she needs to see him now. It's almost like she can't help herself from venturing out into the cold January night after such an important step in her pregnancy.

With the key that Jess had given her just weeks ago, Rory unlocks the door to what will be another Truncheon and heads inside, then upstairs to Jess's apartment. She knows she should've called to give him warning, but there was no time for that. Instead, she just barges in.

Surprisingly Jess is awake, sitting on the couch and jumping slightly when Rory comes through the door. He's shocked, closing the book he was reading and sitting up straighter. "It's 2:30 in the morning —"

"It kicked," Rory cuts him off, her breathing heavy from having practically ran from the subway stop to the apartment. "The baby. It just kicked."

The statement alone is enough to make Jess stand and walk over to her, and before he's able to say anything she pulls him into a hug and cries. Why? Rory has no idea — it's probably a mix of hormones and the stress she's felt the last few weeks finally coming out — but Jess doesn't question it. He wraps his arms around her and lets her cry, though it doesn't last long.

Without words the two of them find themselves in Jess's bed, her on the right and him on the left.

xxx

Rory's having a boy, and there's no doubt in her mind what she's going to name him: Richard Lucas Gilmore. When she tells Lorelai, she's proud; when she tells Emily, she cries; and when she tells Jess, he can't help but smile and tell her how perfect the name is.

"I think he would've liked you," Rory tells Jess, and he's taken aback but smiles at the compliment. "I once read him an excerpt from The Subsect. He was going to borrow it but —" Jess just shakes his head. He knows what she's going to say, and how painful it's going to be to say it, so he doesn't make her. He just kisses her forehead and goes back to typing.

xxx

Domesticity is something Jess never thought he'd achieve, but what he and Rory have is pretty damn close. They're back to how things were before Christmas, sharing a bed and splitting the grocery shopping and just coexisting happily. Jess thinks he can spend his whole life in this grey area and be the happiest man in the world.

It's a normal Friday night when there's a knock at the door, and Rory and Jess tear their eyes from the movie they're watching and look at each other, confused. They never have random visitors, especially not on a Friday night.

"You get it," they say at the same time, and again the person on the other side is knocking. They both know someone has to get it, but deciding on who is the hard part.

"You're closer," Jess justifies, and Rory just shakes her head.

"And five and a half months pregnant," she says and Jess huffs in defeat. "I win, now go answer the door."

When Jess answers the door, however, he regrets it completely. "Rory, it's for you," he says and opens the door more, allowing the visitor to be seen and to walk inside: Logan Huntzberger.

Logan's got a bag over his shoulder and he looks tired, almost like he just got off a plane and oh my god, Logan just got off a plane! Rory's freaking out because the last time they spoke, she was ready to cut him out of her life for good. Their goodbye was final — at least that's how it felt — and she isn't prepared for this.

But of course, she's naive to think that she'd never have to see him again. Logan's the father of her son, and not a total monster. Of course he'd want to see him, have some sort of a relationship with him. And of course she'd let him. Who is Rory to keep him from his son?

At first, Logan wants to talk, but Rory can see how tired he is and damn, it's already one in the morning. Instead she suggests that they all sleep, do some thinking and talk in the morning. She sets the couch up for him and Logan thanks her.

Rory and Jess walking into the bedroom together doesn't go unnoticed.

She's asleep instantly, almost anticipating that she'll need as much rest as possible tonight for what is to come for tomorrow; Jess, however, can't sleep. That is, until Rory rolls over and curls herself into his side. With his arm wrapped around her and their bodies melting together, Jess finds it easier to fall asleep.

The next morning Jess makes breakfast, and when all three of them are finally up they sit at the kitchen table and eat. It's silent until a gold ban on Logan's left ring finger catches Rory's attention: she nearly chokes on her eggs.

"You two got married," Rory says and Logan looks down at the ring, nodding his head before looking back at Rory.

"I couldn't get a hold of your address in time to send out an invitation," Logan making excuses, what a surprise?

"You have my phone number."

Again the room goes silent but this time it's almost painfully awkward, and Jess wishes he could make everything better for Rory. So he decides to at least try.

"So, Logan," Jess puts his fork down, catching the blonde's attention and allowing Rory to compose herself and breathe. "What brings you back to the states?"

"You're kidding me, right?" Logan looks at Rory who's chuckling slightly, her eyes on Jess before she feels Logan's eyes and looks to him. She tries not to smile, but can't help it. Logan gives her a look and Rory straightens out, glancing at Jess before back to Logan. "So about the baby —"

"Richard," Rory cuts Logan off instantly. "His name is Richard."

Logan lets out a sigh, almost ignoring what Rory says so that he could continue his statement. "I want to be a part of his life," Logan says simply, and Rory is ready to tell him of course when he continues. "I think it'd be best if you moved to London."

Jess nearly chokes on his coffee and Rory looks at Logan with a confused look on her face. "Excuse me?" she says and Logan just sighs.

"Oh come on Rory, you seriously haven't thought about it?" Logan asks and Jess feels himself becoming more and more angry that this guy just showed up yesterday.

"No, I haven't," Rory's voice is angry and defensive. Who does he think he is, showing up here and demanding that she moves to a foreign country? Just like that? No thank you!

"It just makes sense," Logan leans back in his chair. "I can't move to New York, I have a job in London. But you can write from London just as easily as you write from New York."

"What's so wrong with me living here?" Rory questions instantly and Logan shakes his head; Rory can't believe him right now.

"That boy's going to need his father," Logan says defensively, sitting up straighter. "And unless you expect Jack over here to raise him, I don't see any other option."

"Logan," Rory's voice is stern, defending Jess like it's her duty to do so because she'll be damned if she lets Logan come into their home and start insulting how they've chosen to live their lives.

"What Rory?" Logan's anger was evident, and Jess's mouth stays shut, knowing that this isn't his battle. It's Rory's. "You really think he knows how to be a father? He didn't even have one, and you're going to let him make decisions for our son?"

"Stop!" Rory stands, her anger pouring out. "What I choose to do in my life is none of your business anymore. You don't know Jess, I know him, and I know that he's going to be an amazing father one day. Maybe to Richard, maybe to somebody else. But it doesn't matter. You lost your right to comment on my personal life the second you said 'I do' to someone else!"

Rory's out of the apartment before Logan can respond, leaving him and Jess sitting awkwardly in the kitchen of Rory's apartment. Jess clears his throat and Logan looks at him, a stressed out look on his face.

"Not cool man," Jess shakes his head as he stands, clearing his and Rory's plates because he knows that she's done eating. Logan stands as well, almost trying to tower over him (a tactic that Jess can handle — he had dealt with Dean for far too long).

Logan is about to defend himself before Jess turns to him, shaking his head. "No, it's my turn to talk," he says, and Logan retreats (mentally and physically). "Rory is in the most impossible position right now, and you have to let her make her own decisions. Six months ago, if you had asked her to move to London with you, I'm sure she would've said yes," Jess sighs. "If there was a promise that you'd end what you have with Odette, then she would've, and you know that."

Logan's head hangs slightly because he knows that Jess is right, he just doesn't want to admit it. "But you didn't," Jess states the obvious. "So Rory had to figure out how to do this on her own. If she wants to stay here, then she's going to stay here. If she wants me in her son's life, then I'll be there for them. And you have no say."

Jess had moved closer to Logan while he spoke, a threatening tone taking over his voice as he lays down the law. "Every time you've broken her, I've been there to pick up the pieces, and I'll continue to do that for as long as she needs me to. So you better get used to it, Blondie. He may be your son by blood, but I'll be his Luke."

It's at that point that Logan knows that he's lost (is this even a competition?) and instantly he backs off, nodding his head so Jess knows that he understands. Jess sighs and it finally sinks in that Rory is out on the streets of Queens, alone, in her pajamas, pregnant. Not a good combination.

Jess turns to Logan as he grabs his jacket from the chair and slips it on. "When I get back, you'd better be gone," Jess says simply as he heads to the door.

"Jess," Logan says and Jess stops, turning to the blonde and letting him speak. "Just…" he pauses, looking down before back to the other. "Take care of them, okay?"

Jess almost feels bad for him; here he is trying, but Jess knows that Logan is just too little too late. Now Rory has moved on, has found her groove and doesn't need Logan to raise her son. With a small nod, Jess heads out of the apartment.

Rory's in a park just a few blocks away, pacing around like she always does when she feels stressed. A hand is resting on her stomach as she steadies her breathing. The whole throw down with Logan made her anxious, and she knows stress isn't good for the baby. The tears stopped just a couple of minutes ago, but Rory knows that they're still staining her cheeks.

"Rory," she hears her name being spoken and she turns, seeing Jess just a few feet from where she stands. She lets out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding and walks over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as his go around her waist. As they hold each other tight, Rory's tears once again begin to fall, and while she wants to stop crying, it feels too good to let it all out.

When they pull apart, Rory's face is once again covered in dried tears and her breathing has become heavy again, but she doesn't care. There are things she needs to say — things she feels obligated to clarify — and she owes it to him.

"Jess —" she starts, but is instantly cut off by his lips pressing against hers. It's different than the kiss they shared on New Year's — less uncertainty and childhood fantasy and a lot more firm, like they finally know what they're doing — and Rory can't help but become lost in it.

The kiss doesn't last long, but it's one that Rory will remember for years to come — not unlike the rest of the intense kisses shared between Rory and Jess. She's out of breath, her arms comfortably wrapped around his neck and his are around her waist. She looks up at him, about to question the hell out of him, but then decides not to.

Jess offers Rory a smile and she returns it simply. "Come on, let's go home," Jess says. When he pulls out of their embrace he extends his hand for her to take, which she does, and the two head back to the apartment in silence.

Logan and his stuff are nowhere to be found.

xxx

Scrabble becomes a very regular thing for Rory and Jess after receiving a package from Luke and Lorelai containing the game (along with some food and some gifts, because Rory refused to have a baby shower). They play for hours on end, never tiring of the game. They're competitive, but that's how they've always been, and for the first time in a while Rory is completely and unregrettably happy.

Logan's called twice since his visit, and while Rory does her best to be civil while speaking to him, Jess can tell that she's still bitter about the last time they saw each other.

It's during a Scrabble game that Rory hints at the idea of her spending a weekend in Stars Hollow; she's seven months pregnant, and she knows that once little Rick is born, there will be no time to go see her mother and stepfather.

Without doubt, Jess tells Rory that she should go, and when she asks him to come with her, he politely declines; he's got things to edit, including the first draft of Gilmore Girls, and she deserves a weekend alone with her mom. Lorelai will be so thrilled.

Jess springs for a car service to take Rory back to Connecticut because he doesn't trust the trains, especially since Rory is very pregnant, and wishes Rory luck as she heads off see her mom.

He thinks about the kiss they shared a few weeks ago, the kiss that they never talked about, and how things have just been better since then. Before things were great, but somehow they've become better, and Jess loves it.

When Jess returns to the apartment he gets an idea while walking past Rick's unfinished bedroom. He's smirking with excitement at his plan, happier than before that Rory decided to spend the weekend in Stars Hollow.

xxx

The first thing Rory does when she gets to Stars Hollow is remember how much she misses her hometown: the people there, the feeling she gets when walking around, the smile on her face, and of course, her mother.

Friday night is filled with movies and junk food — a limited amount for Rory, because Luke is very hard on her about eating healthy while she's pregnant, but he allows for some stuff because Rory is 32 and he really can't tell her what to do — and Lorelai and Rory spend hours catching up. They fall asleep on the couch.

Saturday morning they have breakfast at Luke's, something they haven't done in a while, and then go shopping. When they return home, everyone in town is yelling Surprise! at Rory; it seems that Lorelai planned a surprise baby shower, and Rory can't stop smiling the whole night.

That is, until she remembers that Jess isn't here but back home in Queens, and she's almost sad. She feels that he should be there if she is going to have a baby shower.

She shoots him a text, asking what he's up to, and when he responds with nothing, Rory decides to Facetime him. After breaking away from Babette and Miss Patty, Rory retreats to her room to call Jess. She calls him twice and he doesn't answer either time. She's confused, but then she gets another text.

Busy editing. I'll call you later. x

So Rory goes back to the party, clutching her phone tightly in her hand, waiting for that call. She doesn't know when things got this bad. Her dependency on Jess almost frightens her, but she doesn't have enough time to think about that.

Rory falls asleep before the party is even over, and while she feels guilty in the morning, Lorelai tells her that everyone understood; it's tiring being pregnant, as Lorelai knows, so no one was mad. Still, Rory feels bad. The party was for her, and she spent half the time thinking about Jess and the other half asleep. Not that she tells her mom the first part.

Lorelai avoids asking about Jess. From Luke's conversations with his nephew she knows that he pretty much lives in the apartment with Rory, and that there was a Logan issue that was straightened out. She knows not to push Rory to talk about it because she doesn't want to push her away.

After lunch at Luke's the car service comes to pick Rory up, and after saying goodbye to Lorelai, Luke, and everyone in the diner, Rory is on her way back to Queens. She wants to send Jess a text, apologizing for not answering the night before when he called, but decides against it. She'll be home soon; they can talk then.

When Rory's dropped off at the apartment it's starting to get dark out, but she manages to convince the driver to let her bring her own stuff upstairs and that she'll be fine. She unlocks the apartment and heads in, only to find it quiet. She assumes that Jess is back at his apartment — the apartment that they both seemed to have completely forgotten about — and thinks nothing of it.

She brings her bag into her room and is about to go into the kitchen when she notices that the door to Rick's room is slightly open and the light inside is on, while she knows for a fact that the door was shut when she left on Friday. She's curious, wondering if Jess had been in there while she was away. She puts off getting food to go inside. The second she steps inside, Rory feels all the air leave her lungs. The room is finished.

One wall is painted a semi deep blue, one that Rory found unique enough to be in her son's room, but not too far out there. The rest are white and no longer rough like they had been. The mahogany furniture that Ikea had delivered a few weeks ago is all put together, Doula's old crib on the right wall, the changing table and dresser opposite it, and the rocking chair in the corner.

She walks further in and up to the wall directly across from the door, which is a full bookcase. Only a small portion of it is filled, but it's filled with classics like Green Eggs and Ham, Where the Wild Things Are, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. There's a post it on one of the empty shelves, and in Jess's messy handwriting it says, 'Call Matthew about more books.'

Rory hears a noise behind her, and slowly she turns around to find Jess leaning against the door frame. She's got tears in her eyes and there are no words, but she knows she has to say something. Anything.

"Don't think what you're thinking," Jess says before she can speak, pushing off the doorframe and walking towards her. He points to the bookshelf and speaks again: "Chris helped me with that. I barely got it in the apartment by myself. Thank him for that. And the books. All donations from Truncheon."

Rory looks back to the bookshelf as Jess walks over to be next to her, close but not too close. He continues: "The rest was all me. The painting, the carpet, the furniture. Your grandpa bought the chair for your grandma when your mom was born. When I told her that the rest of the furniture was mahogany, she insisted on sending it over."

Just as Jess finishes his sentence Rory practically launches herself into his arms, hugging him tightly and pressing a kiss to his neck. "Thank you," she whispers, a few tears falling. Jess says nothing, just rubs her back and kisses her hair. He loves seeing her happy (almost as much as he loves her).

xxx

It's 10 PM and Jess is almost asleep in Philadelphia when he gets a call from Rory that her water broke, and he's in the car within seconds to make it back to New York. He calls Lorelai and Emily too, and they, along with Luke, promise to be there in the next few hours.

The three hours that Rory is in the hospital room alone are three of the most nerve wracking hours of her life, but when Jess bursts through the door she instantly feels herself relax. He walks right over to Rory — clad in a hospital gown, already a little sweaty and looking tired — and presses a kiss to her hair, her hands gripping onto his arm. She's grateful for him, and he can see that in her eyes.

When the nurse comes in she greets Jess, congratulating him and informing him that they have a long night ahead. Neither Rory nor Jess corrects her when she assumes that Jess is the father, because for all intents and purposes, he is.

Around three-thirty, Lorelai, Luke and Emily arrive at the New York hospital and provide Rory with more support. But her contractions begin to come more frequently, and Emily and Luke are ushered out of the room as the nurses begin to prepare for the birth. Only Jess and Lorelai stay.

At 5:07 AM on May 23, Richard Lucas Gilmore comes into a world where he is loved by many, especially his mother. When Rory is handed her son she can't help but cry tears of joy and relief. She had been so scared of this day, but now that it is here, she can't help but feel blessed. Truly blessed.

Lorelai is the first person after Rory to hold the baby and she too feels blessed; becoming a mother at sixteen could've ended in so many horrible situations, but Lorelai had been lucky with Rory. And now she is lucky to have a beautiful and healthy grandson.

Emily and Luke come in soon after, and Jess decides to pass on holding Richard for now and lets the rest of them have their moment. Rory looks over at Jess and extends her hand to him, and he takes it and moves closer to her. His arm is around her shoulders and he presses a kiss to her hair before telling her he has to make a call.

Out in the hallway, Jess contemplates his original thoughts before going with his gut and calling Logan. He figures that the man deserves to know that his son was born this morning, and Jess doesn't want to ruin the mood in the room by asking Rory to do it. So he'll fight this battle for her, because he knows that it's for the better.

"Yeah?" Logan answers and Jess can't help but roll his eyes at how Logan answers the phone. But he moves past it, because he has important information to relay.

"Hey Logan, it's Jess," Jess says calmly.

"Is Rory okay?" Logan responds instantly and Jess sighs, nodding before realizing that he can't see him and should probably tell him.

"She had the baby," Jess can't help but smile as he recalls the whole ordeal. "Richard Lucas Gilmore, 5:07 AM. Six pounds, 18 inches."

The rest of the conversation is short, and when Lorelai, Luke and Emily come out of the hospital room, Jess tells Logan that he'll have Rory call him in the next few days. Logan promises to send some things to the apartment, and the two say their goodbyes. The fact that they just had their first civilized conversation doesn't go unnoticed by Jess, and he knows that there are more to come in the future.

Lorelai tells Jess that they're going to head to a hotel, sleep for a while and then come back to see Rory and the baby later that night. Emily offers to pay for a hotel room for Jess as well, but he says that he's going to stay instead, and thanks Emily.

Jess goes back in the room, sees that Rory is sleeping and is happy. She's been up for hours, and he knows from the books he read that giving birth is a very tiring act. So Jess sits, pulls his laptop out of his bag and begins to work. He can't even think about sleep.

The nurses bring Richard in a few hours later, and since Rory is still asleep they ask Jess if he wants to hold his son; again he doesn't correct them and nods nervously, taking Richard in his arms. The nurses leave the two of them be.

Jess watches the baby in his arms observantly, finding it strange how 24 hours prior to this exact moment, Richard was inside of Rory, comfortable and not ready to enter the world. How quickly did things change.

"Hey kid," Jess whispers, feeling a bit too sentimental for his taste, but he doesn't stop himself. "I'm Jess, and you're one lucky kid." He looks up slightly at Rory's sleeping form. "You see that pretty lady over there? That's your mom. And let me tell you Rick, you've got the best damn mom in the world. What I would've done for a mom like yours…"

Jess lets out a small chuckle and shakes his head, looking back down at the baby and smiling at him. "Your mom loves you a lot; so does your dad," Jess's voice becomes a bit quieter. "And I may not be your real dad, but I want you to know that I love you too. That I'll always be there for you. For you and your mom."

When Jess hears Rory cough he looks up and sees that she's awake and looking over at him, a smile on her face. Jess's face becomes red and he's rocking Richard slightly, his eyes on Rory. "How much of that did you hear?" he asks and she smirks.

"All of it," she whispers, and a part of Jess is glad she did.

xxx

Jess hasn't shaven since before Richard was born, and while he doesn't know how to feel about the beard that he's been growing, Rory doesn't hide how much she likes it. She says it makes him look older, but not a bad older. A good older. It gives him a look of maturity he was lacking. Not that they have much time to talk about stuff like this.

Crying babies are a lot more of a serious matter than any of the books led on, and Richard is a crier. He doesn't sleep much at night, only a few hours during the day, and spends the whole night crying over food or a soiled diaper or a lack of attention. They create a schedule, where Rory sleeps for a few hours during the day and then Jess does the same, one of them awake at all times; when they sleep, it's on an air mattress; they barely leave Richard's room.

This goes on for weeks, and Rory and Jess decide that they need to somehow train Richard to sleep at night and not during the day. So they keep him up with attention and food and entertainment. He falls asleep around eight PM that night, and Rory and Jess almost feel blessed.

It's been over six weeks since Rory and Jess slept in their bed, and when given the opportunity they decide to take the chance. They are quick to prepare for what they're sure will be a short sleep, but they don't care.

The bed is more comfortable than they remember, and after Rory turns the baby monitor on (not that they need it, considering the door to their bedroom and the door to Richard's bedroom are both open) she gets in bed. She watches as Jess does the same and he turns off the light.

They lay side by side, his arm loosely wrapped around her, not really remembering what it was like to fall asleep comfortably, but they try their best. Jess seems to be falling into sleep a half hour later but Rory just can't. Her mind is racing, and in an attempt to calm down she looks over at Jess.

Their bodies are close but not touching, and it's then that she gets a thought. Rory does her best to push it down but she can't help herself.

"Jess," Rory rolls over onto her side, facing him. Jess makes a sound, almost like a moan, and Rory almost feels bad for disturbing him in his half asleep state. Almost. "Jess," she says it louder this time and he stirs, turning his head and opening his eyes. He's awake.

"I think we're dating," she responds in the half whisper she used the second time she said his name and Jess smirks.

"No shit," Jess says in normal Jess fashion, wrapping his arm tighter around her body and pulling her closer. Rory rolls over so they're spooning, and Jess presses his lips to the back of her neck. "Now get some sleep; who knows how long Rick'll be asleep for."

And she does, peacefully.

xxx

In the blink of an eye Richard's starting kindergarten, and Rory can't help but cry after she drops him off. She can remember all the sleepless nights when he was first born and the first time he walked and his first word (which was Jess); she remembers it all at once and it's overwhelming. Thank god Jess is home after she drops him off.

It's odd not having Rick home all of the time, and Rory finds herself unsure what to do with her free time. When Jess suggests that she pick up a day or two at Truncheon, she jumps at the chance.

Two days turns into a full time job, and Rory spends every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at the bookstore and publishing house. She edits mostly and watches the store when Jess has to meet with an author or do any kind of business deal. Chris and Matt come by often to keep her company and check up on the place.

On Saturday's the whole family is there: Jess usually spends the day at his desk, making phone calls and editing; Rory mans the store front and gives the best recommendations; and Richard does whatever. Sometimes he's at Rory's desk coloring or doing homework, other times he's with Jess helping with the editing process, but mostly he hangs around the store with Rory. The customers love him.

Some Sunday's Jess works, but he does his best to be home that day so he can relax with Rory and watch cartoons with Richard. When he does work, however, Rory and Rick get McDonalds for breakfast and always save some for Jess.

On a cool Wednesday night in November, Jess is forced to stay at Truncheon until late to meet with an author. Rory orders Chinese food for herself and Rick and saves some lo mein for Jess for when he gets home.

It's a normal night in their house with Rory working on editing a to be Truncheon published book and Rick watching TV in the living room. They're waiting for Jess to get home so they can put on a movie or something.

When Jess arrives home Rory is in the kitchen, but she can hear the door unlock, open and shut. Rory's back is to him, and she is about to call out to him when she hears Richard exclaim, "Daddy!"

Rory is frozen in her spot, angry that Logan would just show up out of the blue. The deal was that when Logan wants to see Richard he has to call before just showing up. She hates that he thinks he can just pop up and steal her son's attention like that, and she's ready to give him an earful when she walks into the living room and sees Richard's arms wrapped around Jess's leg.

Oh shit.

"Richard," Rory walks over to the pair, instantly jumping in when she sees the almost mortified look on Jess's face at what Rick had called him. Her son turns towards her, an innocent look on his face, his arms still wrapped tightly around Jess's leg and his cheek pressed against his leg..

Rory crouches down to the five year olds height, her forearms resting on her thighs and her expression confused. "What'd you just call Jess?" she asks, hoping that maybe she heard wrong.

"Daddy," Richard says firmly before burying his face in Jess's pant leg. It's times like these where Richard resembles a younger version of himself, and Rory misses the age where he spent all day at home with her.

"Baby that's not daddy. Daddy's in London," Rory is trying to explain this to Richard, but he seems to not want to understand. "That's Jess; you know Jess." The boy says nothing, just staring at Rory. "Why'd you call him daddy?"

"Because," Richard replies stubbornly, his blue eyes crystal and his light brown hair messy from pressing himself against Jess's leg. "All the kids at school call their mommy's boyfriends daddy."

Rory feels a pang of guilt and she sighs, offering Richard her hand. He gladly takes it and she leads him to the couch. Jess follows.

"Ricky," Rory sighs, looking down for a second before back at her son. "Jess and I know that the way you've been raised has never been… normal. But we didn't want you to think that we love you any less because we're not a traditional family."

Richard's eyes are on his lap and Rory sighs; Jess decides to jump in, almost feeling the stress radiating off of Rory. "Your mom and I love you," Jess bends down in front of Richard, catching his attending. "And so does your dad."

"But he's never here," Richard has tears in his eyes and it breaks Rory's heart to see her son like this. She wraps her arm around his shoulders and presses a kiss to his hair. She hates this, truly and completely hates that she has to put her son through the same thing she went through as a kid.

That night, Rory calls Logan and they arrange for Richard to spend a week in London with him and Odette.

When Rory and Jess bring Richard to the airport Logan is already there, waiting to take a flight back to London with his son. It's a tearful goodbye for Rory and Rick and she hugs him, kissing him a million times and reminding him to call her every night before bed. Then Rory excuses herself to the bathroom and Jess bends down to Richard's height; Logan backs off, allowing the two to talk.

"You excited?" Jess asks, straightening out the kid's jacket and the boy nods with a bright smile, which Jess returns. "You're gonna have a lot of run with your dad and Odette. I can't wait to hear all about it."

Jess pauses and looks behind him, seeing that Rory has just reached the bathroom and then turns back to Richard. "Hey kid, can I gotta ask you something," Jess says and Richard nods. "I want to ask your mom to marry me."

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ring that he's had saved for two years. Richard looks at it, confused, before looking back to Jess. "Are things going to change?" he asks and Jess instantly shakes his head.

"Absolutely nothing. You, me and your mom will still live together, we'll still spend Saturday's at Truncheon and Sunday's eating McDonalds breakfast and watching cartoons. The only thing that might change is your mom's last name, but I doubt it. She's too Gilmore to change her last name," Jess rambles, not understand why he's nervous in front of a five year old.

"That's a pretty ring," Richard comments and Jess just laughs, nodding his head.

"You think your mom'll like it?" Jess asks and Richard instantly nods his head. "You think she'll say yes?"

"Jess," Richard said in an adorable yet stern voice. "Mommy loves you. Of course she'll say yes."

"Hey bud, we gotta go. Plane's gonna leave without us," Logan walks over to the pair and places a hand on his son's shoulder; Jess pressed a kiss to Richard's head and stands, ruffling his hair.

"Be good for your dad, and make sure to call your mother later," Jess says and Richard nods, taking Logan's hand and as the two head towards the gate, Jess goes off to find Rory.

xxx

The second they reach the apartment that night Jess has Rory pressed against the now closed door, kissing her senseless. For the last few years, dating has been weird because there was constantly a curious boy running around the apartment. Richard has never been away from home for more than a night since he was born, which means that Rory and Jess haven't been alone for more than a night since then.

They're kissing hard, hands moving frantically over each others bodies and minds completely blank. Rory's arms are tight around Jess's neck and his hands are pressed against her back, pushing her body closer to his. They're hungry for what's to come, and neither want to wait.

Jess's hands begin to wander up Rory's shirt and eventually he pulls it off, tossing it to the side and returning to the kiss. Seeing it unfair that she's the only one shirtless, Rory unbuttons Jess's shirt before tossing it to the side. Just as their lips reconnect, however, Rory hears a sound and pulls away.

It's almost a clanking sound, like metal hitting the hardwood floors of their apartment and she distances herself from Jess, a confused look on her face. "Did you hear that?" she asks and looks past Jess: a shiny object on the ground catches her attention and she pulls herself from his arms and walks towards it.

Jess turns and his eyes widen, spotting the shiny object and grabbing Rory's arm. He pulls her back to him, shaking his head. "It's nothing, Ror," he says and kisses her again, but Rory now knows that Jess is hiding something from her.

Quickly she pulls away from him again and says, "Nice try." Rory smirks, slipping past Jess as he tries to stop her: it's no use. She crouches down in front of the object before she pauses, her eyes wide and her body frozen.

On the ground next to Jess's shirt is a beautiful yet simple ring with a gold band and a modest diamond in the center. Rory's heart is in her throat and she feels dizzy, faint almost, maybe even like she's going to throw up. Her body begins to sway slightly and she plops down on her butt, her legs on either side of the ring, not daring to touch it.

Jess is standing behind her, watching her reaction and waiting for her to say something — anything — in response to what she's seeing. He hates himself for ruining what was supposed to be a beautiful proposal. He wishes he could go back in time.

After what seems like an eternity of silence, Rory picks up the ring and looks at it. Jess walks around her and sits down between her feet, letting out a nervous breath. "I was going to ask you tomorrow night," he says in a quiet tone, eyes on the floor. "I was going to cook, and then when the time was right I was going to make this amazing speech about love and fate and all of that bullshit, and then I was going to ask. And it would've been perfect." His eyes cast sheepishly up towards her.

Rory doesn't say anything but scoots so she's only a few inches from Jess, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding the ring up between their faces. "Put it on," she says in a hushed tone, almost as if she says it too loudly, fate will come in and pluck the ring right from her fingers.

Jess's nervous expression turns into one of pure joy and he takes the ring, his hand gently holding her left hand; he slides the perfectly fitted ring onto her left ring finger and looks up at her expression.

Rory rests her forehead against Jess's and lets out a breath, her eyes locked onto the ring on her finger and she suddenly forgets what her finger looked like without it, because now she doesn't need that memory. "We're getting married," Rory says in the same tone she used before, a tear slipping as she looks up into Jess's eyes.

He smiles, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and allowing his hand to rest on her cheek. "I love you, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore," he whispers, his thumb running over her cheek lovingly.

"I love you too, Jess Zeppelin Mariano," Rory can't help but giggle slightly when saying Jess's full name and his cheeks turn bright red — a rare occurrence — with embarrassment.

"I hate my mother," Jess mutters and Rory lets out a full belly laugh, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly; the two share an epic kiss, tangling together.

Eventually they make their way to the bedroom, and the pair make love for hours on end, talking and cuddling and laughing in between. Rory doesn't remember a time when she was happier and neither does Jess.

Laying in bed, Rory has her head rested on Jess's bare chest and his arm is wrapped around her naked body, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair as her fingers draw random patterns on his stomach. They're silent but comfortable, both thinking.

"I can't believe your middle name is Zeppelin," Rory whispers but Jess can hear her clearly and he looks down at her, his eyebrows raised. Rory looks up at him and laughs, rolling over so her body is directly over his and her chin is resting on his chest.

Rory is content; she has the best son anyone could ask for, a book in the process of being published, a loving family, great health and the man of her dreams laying next to her, naked. She wonders how she got to this point in her life, how things changed to make this exact moment possible, and she's thankful for all of it (the ups and the downs).

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jess says and she looks up at him, a smile on her face.

"I'm just…" she trails off, her smile widening. "I'm so happy." Rory's tone is so genuine it almost brings tears to Jess's eyes; instead he just smiles, his hands rubbing Rory's back lovingly.

"Me too," he responds, pressing a kiss to Rory's lips. Jess is about to deepen the kiss when Rory's phone goes off: it's Logan's ringtone.

She pulls away and Jess groans, looking up at her. "Blondie can wait," Jess says, pulling Rory back into a kiss. She wants to ignore the call and keep her full attention on Jess — she almost does — but when she hears the ringtone again she knows that she can't.

"I told Richard to call when they got to the apartment," Rory says after pulling away from Jess, who lets out another groan because he knows she's right. Richard listens, of course he'd call the second they reached Logan and Odette's apartment.

"Tell him I say hi," Jess says, moving his hands and freeing Rory from his grasp; she presses a quick kiss to his lips and rolls off of him, grabbing her phone and answering it.

"Hi baby, how's London?"


End file.
